Book Review: An Angel By Her Side By Ruth Reid

I recently received a copy of the new book An Angel By Her Side: A Heaven on Earth Novel by Ruth Reid to review.

Katie Bender lost her fiancee in a tragic accident years ago, but it led her on the path for her gift: teaching children. She is busy at school teaching the children, when the worst happens - the sky changes and a tornado strikes, destroying the Hope Falls Amish settlement and the schoolhouse. Luckily for Katie and her students, all were safe under the schoolhouse with the help of Seth Stultzman, who had just arrived into town a few days earlier - although stuck for awhile when the debris locked them inside. Now without a school, Katie wonders how she will provide for herself as the town begins to rebuild. Seth is only here to help his brother get back on his feet after the death of his wife, but they begin to work side by side and feelings for each other emerge, although Seth feels he cannot afford to have feelings for Katie at all. As they both wrestle with the emotions, another battle begins to rage, unseen to those here on Earth. An angel named Elias comes to help, appearing as a mysterious visitor. Will Elias help Katie and Seth take the next steps in the relationship? And will be the battle be won by the right side?

This is book three in the Heaven on Earth series, and while reading the first two will introduce you to more about what is going on in the series, you can still jump into book three and understand what is going on. I enjoy Amish fiction, and for me this one did not disappoint. For those unfamiliar with some of the Amish words, there is a glossary at the beginning of the book to refer back to, but if you've read a few Amish stories you'll probably have no issues understanding. I liked Katie's character, and while the story may seem slow at moments, it's all just setting the stage for the story. The hidden battle in the background rears it's ugly head at times throughout the story, but it's not just what the book is about, of course. It also discusses learning disabilities, as Seth's character struggles with dyslexia.

There is also a reading group discussion guide at the end of the book with questions and answers to discuss.

An Angel By Her Side: A Heaven on Earth Novel by Ruth Reid is a paperback Amish Christan romance fiction book published by Thomas Nelson. It is 358 pages long. The suggested cover price is $15.99, but Amazon has it available for $10.87 as of this posting. It is also available as an e-book for the Kindle and other e-readers.

I received a copy of this book in order to read it and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own, and not that of the author(s) or publisher.